Incidence And Risk Factors Associated With Knee Injuries Among Active – Duty Saudi Arabia Military Services Members

Abstract

Background: Children who born late preterm (LP) (between 34+0 and 36+6 weeks +days’ gestation) are more likely to receive less attention which may lead to undiagnosed developmental delays including motor, cognitive and behavioral aspects which may affect different age periods. Early developmental investigations and detection of the potential delays within the first two years after birth give a good opportunity for early detection to avoid further complications. Purpose: To investigate the impact of LP birth on motor, cognitive and behavioural development in Saudi children at corrected age of two years compared to full term (FT) (born between 37 and 41week gestation) children. Method: Descriptive case control study was conducted on children at two years corrected age. Sixty-one LP children matched with 63 control children born at FT compared for motor, cognitive and behavioural development using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires third edition (ASQ-3), Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMSII), Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales fifth edition (SB5) and Child Behaviour Checklist scale for Ages 1.5–5 (CBCL/1½–5). Result: LP babies scored significantly worse than FT peers on the used outcome measurements. In motor abilities (fine& gross), 90-95% of LP babies were below average and 5-6% reach average level while 70-81% of FT babies at average level. For IQ level half of LP babies were below average level where 60% of FT babies at an average or higher level. LP babies at higher risk of behavior issues as 41% of them at borderline level in both internalizing and externalizing behaviors where 80-84% of FT babies at the normal level. Conclusion: Children born LP showed lower motor performance, lower cognitive abilities and higher level of behavioural problems in comparison with FT counterparts at age of two years.